What is Tabata Training?

The Tabata Method was developed by Dr. Izumi Tabata, a Japanese physician and researcher. He conducted a study using an interval-based training model. His objective was to see if athletes could benefit from a 20/10 session repeated eight times. It breaks down as followed: 20 seconds of all-out exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest. This adds up to four minutes total.

Correlation between Tabata and Fencing

It consists of the following actions:

1. Explosive actions mimicking the fencing movement of an attack
2. Rest Periods, giving time for muscle to rest and prepare for the next set of mimicking the recovery
3. Eight Sets of exercises builds endurance and strengthening in the muscles

How to do it:

For example: Max effort of 20 seconds of hamstring (leg curl), then rest 10 seconds. Max effort of 20 seconds of squats, then rest 10 seconds. And then do that whole cycle again for four minutes.

The exercise can vary depending on the focused area. It is not limited to only a select few exercises. Here are some other substitutions to consider, just to name a few: Medicine Ball thrust, Burpees, Sit ups, Pull ups, Crunches, Bicep curls,Triceps dips and/or Sprints

Tabata timer is free app that can be found at the apple store or google play for androids

Disclaimer:

1. As with any sport, consult your physician before starting any new exercise regiment.

2. There is always a greater risk of injury when you're doing high-impact, high-intensity exercise, so properly warming up is important.

3. Tabata training is not for the faint of heart, you will experience soreness until the body acclimates to the new exercise regimen.

Five simple steps that can help with Mental Strengthening.

1. Realistic expectations- Setting smaller goals that are achievable reinforces success on your journey to the ultimate goal (you can eat an elephant in one bite)

2. Positive self talk- Talking yourself through any situation only reinforces what you believe, so keep it positive.

3.Face your fears- by facing your fear (no matter how big or small) is very empowering.  In the grand scheme of life, we find out that our fears are only as big as we make them.

4. Persistence- goals are never achieved by giving up or giving in. Failures are teaching opportunities to learn from.  Even the most accomplished people in the world have failed.

5. Visualization- Success comes more rapidly when you can visualize it.

By practicing these simple steps and applying them to all aspects of your day (school, work, fencing), you will find successes come more often.

Over the course of time as we age, our knees are one of the first major areas to start hurting. Here are some preventive measures that will help continue your journey of wellness:

1. Proper form is always the key to minimizing pain in any sport injury.

2. Stretching, flexing, and warming up before activity and stretching after the activity. Our joints are nourished by movements and strengthen by load resistance. This also, reduces inflammation and irritation to the knee.

3. Exercise is the foundation of building up and maintaining muscles strength, especially around the knee for proper support. Strong muscles help stabilize the joints. Here are some useful exercises that reduces the stress on the knee:

How to perform Goblet Squats tutorial

How to do Rear Lunges

Knee Exercises for Pain Free Leg Workouts

4. Eating healthy foods rich in calcium will help reduce your chances of developing osteoporosis as you age.

Following these suggestions can reduce the possibility of injuries to the knee and ensure a long and (relatively) painless lifetime of fencing.

Before starting any exercise regiment, always check with your doctor.

(This picture indicates the position of a lunge with both feet on the ground and not rolling the ankle, which causes long term damage to the joints.)

1. Balance - Always keep about the same amount of weight on both feet at all times. Yes, there I said it twice. It is very important to not lean back when moving, or to lean way forward when lunging. And don’t rock back and forth while moving.
2. Keep Both Feet Flat – Especially when lunging, try to keep both feet flat on the floor. I see too many fencers, even high level ones, drag their back foot on the floor in an effort to get a couple more inches on their attacks. This hampers, to some degree, the recovery, but is also very hard on the Medial Collateral Ligament (the one on the inner side of the knee, the one that holds the knee stable) of the trailing leg. This can lead to pain, reduced range of motion, and even, surgical intervention.
3. Pay attention to your Opponent and the Director/Referee – One of my pet peeves is people who score a hit (or think they do) and immediately look at the scoring box to see if it is true. You should fence until the Director calls halt. This bad habit WILL cost you points at a tournament. [Directors (especially new ones) If you are directing a bout, always call HALT in a loud and clear voice to stop action on the strip, for whatever reason. The fencers are counting on you!&91;
4. Learn the Rules – Far too many young students (and older ones, too) don’t know why they do what they do, except that they were told to do so, either by their coaches or other fencers. The Rules seem intimidating, but there are really only about forty pages that a beginning fencer needs to know (presuming only one weapons being learned.) Read the Techical (t.xxx) and Material (m.xx) that apply to All Weapons and to the weapon you are using (Foil, Epee, or Saber). Get a copy of the Penalty Charts (t.140) and keep it in your back pocket for reference. These are the ones you’ll get penalized for, and really should know to not do.

Point attacks in saber fencing can greatly increase your fencing competition score.  So consider a double-disengage lunge when fencing and catch your opponent in the center of the chest.  In most cases, this is not expected and catches them unawares.  But beware of the "new" timing in electric fencing sabers, as this action leaves the attacker open to a stop-hit to the arm/wrist if the double-disengage is not preformed well. Of course, as in all things, fencing practice makes perfect.  So practice this sparring move under many conditions to master the maneuver prior to your fencing competition.  Also be careful when sparring with advanced fencers to make sure the arm cannot be reached by the opponent until the final thrust of the point towards the target. As in many fencing moves, always maintain the element of surprise.